Golf ball having reduced surface hardness

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method of making a golf ball comprising the steps of: providing a core comprising at least one layer; forming a cover about the core comprising at least one cover layer comprising a cover inner surface and a cover outer surface and having a thickness D; treating the cover outer surface with a fatty acid and / or fatty acid salt composition and forming a treated cover region which extends inward from the cover outer surface a penetration depth DCTr, an untreated cover region being disposed between the cover inner surface and the treated cover region and having a depth (DCUTr)=(D)−(DCTr); wherein the treated cover region has a hardness α and the untreated cover region has a hardness β different than the hardness α. In another embodiment, the method may alternatively comprise the step of treating the cover inner surface with a fatty acid and / or fatty acid salt composition and forming a treated cover region which extends inward from the cover outer surface a penetration depth DCTr, an untreated cover region being disposed between the cover inner surface and the treated cover region and having a depth (DCUTr)=(D)−(DCTr); wherein the treated cover region has a hardness α and the untreated cover region has a hardness β different than the hardness α. In yet another embodiment, the method of making the golf ball comprises the steps of providing a core comprising at least one layer; forming a cover about the core comprising at least one cover layer comprising a cover inner surface having a hardness β and a cover outer surface having a hardness α; treating the cover outer surface with a fatty acid and / or fatty acid salt composition and forming a treated cover outer surface comprising the fatty acid and / or fatty acid salt composition wherein the treated cover outer surface has a hardness α′ different from hardness α; and wherein hardness β is different than at least one of hardness α and hardness α′.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12,781,245, filed May 17, 2010, which is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12,695,579, filed Jan. 28, 2010, which is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 695,379, filed Jan. 28, 2010, which is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 395,023, filed Feb. 27, 2009, which is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 394,942, filed Feb. 27, 2009, which is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 056,457, filed Mar. 21, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,678,313, which is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 048,665, filed Mar. 14, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,678,312, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 772,903, filed Jul. 3, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,529. Thi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The design allows for a golf ball with a tailored hardness gradient that improves resilience, durability, and spin performance, providing a better feel and control, while maintaining cost-effectiveness in manufacturing.

Problems solved by technology

While early solid golf balls tended to be more durable and resilient than wound construction, thereby providing better distance, they lacked the softer feel, lower compression and higher spin rate of wound golf balls preferred by accomplished golfers who are better able to control the ball on the green.

One drawback to this method of manufacture is the time-consuming process of creating first elastomer and then a second elastomer and then molding the two together.

However, since the interior portions of these cores are untreated, they have the similar hard surface to soft center gradient as conventional cores.

While golf balls incorporating SURLYN resin covers are commonly known by players to be more cut resistant than balata covered balls, they traditionally tend to reduce the spin imparted to a golf ball and produce a less desirable “feel” as compared to a balata covered ball.

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